


A Very Merry Christmas

by Spunky89



Series: A Domestic(ish) Life [5]
Category: Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Christmas Fluff, Christmas Party, Fluff, Multi, Polyamory
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-07
Updated: 2020-01-12
Packaged: 2021-02-27 04:55:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,086
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22161424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spunky89/pseuds/Spunky89
Summary: It's Steve, Bucky, and Reader's first Christmas together as an official triad. They all put added pressure on themselves to get something nice for one another. There is parties, gift hunting, and just the general chaos of the holiday season. But they wouldn't have it any other way.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers/Reader
Series: A Domestic(ish) Life [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1392862
Comments: 2
Kudos: 43





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hiiiii. I know its been a while but life kinda threw me like 10 curve balls and I am just starting to get back on track.  
> Anywho, this is not in the chronological order of the story, but I reaaaalllly wanted to write some Christmas fluff.

The second Thanksgiving ended, you were all in on Christmas. This was not new information to Steve and Bucky. Though Bucky only had a year under his belt where Steve had five. But they knew how much you loved the holiday so even when they weren’t really in the mood, they put on the Santa hats and smiled because it made you happy. And there was nothing they loved more than seeing you happy.  
\---------  
“Come on, come on, come ooonnn,” You whined as you tried to drag the two super soldiers into the tent.  
“We’re coming,” Steve laughed.  
“Not fast enough.” you groaned and ditched them to head into the tent in front of them.  
“I don’t understand why we don’t do this-”  
“If you say the old fashion way I swear Bucky, I will murder you.” You glared as he came up behind you.  
He put his hands up and laughed, “All right, message received.”  
“Good, now put these muscles to use and pull that tree out for me.” You asked as you patted his chest and pointed to a tree towards the back.  
You knew that you could actually go to a tree farm in New York, but your family had always gotten them from the tents at Home Depot, Lowes, or just a stand off the main road. It was one of the traditions you couldn’t let go of. That and needing to get a real tree, even when you were alone and had to drag it up to your apartment by yourself.  
Steve came up behind you and wrapped his arms around your waist, resting his head on your shoulder. The two of you shared a quiet laugh as you watched Bucky fight to get the tree you wanted from the pile.  
“Thank you for doing this with me. I know it’s kind of silly, but-”  
“Hey, it’s not silly. It’s something you love and something that means a lot to you. You know we’re there if it means making you happy.” He said. Bucky then let out a string of curses under his breath as he finally got the tree out. “And I can’t say I don’t enjoy myself.”  
You giggled and moved forward to evaluate the tree.

Two hours and three Tree Tents later, you had found your perfect tree. The boys helped bring it up and set it in its base. You smiled, clapped, and did a little dance once it was in place.  
“I’m glad you’re happy, but I am never doing that again,” Bucky grumbled.  
“Aw come on, don’t be like that.” Steve teased.  
“There is sap all in the groves of my hand. That shit is never coming out.”  
“Le gasp! We do not use that kind of language sir!” You exclaimed in fake shock.  
“God I hate you guys.”  
“But seriously,” You giggled as you pecked Steve on the cheek in apology, “I told you to wear gloves. It is not my fault you didn’t listen.”  
“I didn’t think they were necessary!”  
“Well, you should know that I’m always right and you should really listen to me more.” You smiled.  
“Whatever, let’s just decorate it.”  
“Sorry hunny, but we can’t decorate quite yet. We need to give it a day or two to make sure it’s all puffed out.”  
“I have no idea what you just said or why that’s a thing,” Bucky stated as he plopped next to you on the couch.  
“It meeaanns, the trees from tents are usually all wrapped up, so it takes them some time to flatten out. So if we put lights and ornaments on it now, they are liable to just fall off once the branches have adjusted.” You explained.  
“I see. I still think it’s stupid and next year we’re taking you to a tree farm.”  
“Oh, so you’re already planning for next year huh?” You teased.  
“You can’t get rid of me princess.” He said as he grabbed you and pulled you into his lap as he hugged you tight and layed kisses all over you while you giggled.

\-----------------------

The boys were extremely unhappy when a mission popped up two weeks before Christmas. They were so excited to do all the fun Christmas things with you for your first official Christmas as a couple. You assured them it was fine, as it was just a day after all. You firmly held the belief that the day you celebrated didn’t matter, as long as you were celebrating with the ones you love. So off they went.  
You were almost kind of glad they were gone. It gave you plenty of time to get their gifts done. You firstly picked up some of the gifts you and Bucky had discussed for Steve and the same with Bucky’s. You had all made the decision to include each other in the gift-giving process to make sure no one got the same things. It was working out pretty good. You did decide to do something extra for both the boys. You wanted to spoil them and it was something you’d been planning for a while anyway. So you got to work. Though you loved buying gifts, you also loved making them. It made you feel like it was just a touch more personal. Luckily you had some time off and were able to put it to use. You actually made it a girls’ night. Nat and Wanda weren’t needed for the mission, so you invited them and Pepper over. You all had a ball, mixing wine and crafts. Though they were all crafty in their own right, they always said your assistance and expertise made it way easier and the product much prettier. Some of the creations were just for fun, or in Pepper’s case, a fun gift to give the man who had pretty much everything.  
“So what’s the deal with that?” Nat asked as she was laser-focused on her wine glass, not the one that was full, the one she was painting.  
“Well, I’ve been working on this for months, bullying Tony and even enlisting Maria’s help to gather some relics from their past and- I don’t know. I thought it would be cute.” You said with a shrug.  
“Oh it’s adorable, I just wasn’t sure what it was from or where you got the idea.” She assured you.  
“Oh, it’s from one of my favorite movies.” You explained.  
“I see,”  
“Hey (Y/N/N), how do you use this thing again?” Wanda asked, staring at the Cricut with hatred in her eyes. You laughed as you put down what you were working on and went over to show her.

\---------------------------

When the boys returned only five days later, they were thrilled. There was a minor concern that their mission would mess up the holidays, but luck was on your side for this one. But they were faced with a new problem. Christmas was coming fast, and they were stumped at what to get their girl. They knew very well she wasn’t super materialistic and cared more for small gestures then grand ones. But they were just so unsure of what to do. This was the first official Christmas as a triad, and they were panicking.  
“I feel like you gotta go jewelry, my man, it’s a classic,” Sam suggested when the boys brought their fears and worries to him.  
“But that’s just it, it’s classic. She deserves more than that.” Bucky said with a groan.  
“I don’t know, jewelry is pretty romantic. And it can be kind of personalized for her.”  
“Still not what we’re looking for though,” Bucky argued.  
“Hey, you asked for my help!”  
“No Steve asked you. For some reason,”  
“Stop it, both you.” Steve sighed, pinching his nose between his fingers and shaking his head.  
“I’m just saying, I mean, how many successful relationships has he had?” Bucky asked,  
“I’ve had relationships!”  
“Name two that have lasted longer than 2 months.”  
“Listen here-”  
“Enough.”  
The three men sat in silence for a while after that.  
“What about a companion?” Asked a female voice. Steve and Sam jumped a bit at the sudden appearance of Natasha.  
“What?”  
“Like a pet or something. I mean she’s always sad when she’s left alone when you guys go on missions.”  
“No no, that part I got.” Bucky said, “But how the hell did you know what we were talking about?”  
“You guys have been struggling for a week. It’s getting really close to Christmas, I gave an educated guess.”  
“You scare me,” Sam said, completely straight-faced.  
“Oh, I know that.” She said, smiling innocently at him.  
“I don’t know Nat, an animal is so much work.” Steve said, “And they usually end up destroying a lot.”  
“Yeah, but (Y/N) is great with animals.” She argued.  
“I don’t know,”  
“I kinda like the idea.” Bucky chimed in.  
“Of course you would. You want a pet just as much as she does.”  
“All the more reason. It’s a two-for-one gift.” Bucky said a bright smile on his face.  
“I hate you.”

\--------------------

An hour later the two men were at a local animal shelter asking the kind workers for help. The receptionist freaked out for a minute but was able to get over her shock and help them. They took a picture with her but made her promise not to post it anywhere until after Christmas as to not ruin the surprise. She willingly agreed.  
“So, are you looking for a dog or a cat? Or something else?” She asked as she led them to a back office to talk so they wouldn’t be seen by others out in the main area.  
“Uh, we’re not really sure actually,” Steve admitted.  
The woman laughed and had them sit down to chat.  
“Okay, so this is for your mystery girlfriend I assume?”  
“Yeah, we want to get her a companion for when we’re gone, but we’re not sure what would be best,” Bucky explained.  
“Alright, does she have a preference for one type of animal?”  
The two boys snorted.  
“Anything that has fur and four legs.” Bucky laughed,  
“Well, that’s not true, she also loves birds and bats.”  
“Oh true, can’t forget the bats.”  
The woman looked at the two icons in front of her, fond smiles on their faces as they spoke of their lover. She hoped she could one day find someone who would look like that when they talked about her.  
“I feel that I'm the same way.” She laughed, “Unfortunately, we don’t rescue bats here but we have lots of furry friends.”  
“Do have any animals that have been here for a while? Or any animals that you guys don’t think anyone is going to take?”  
“Well, we have quite a few that have been here for a year or more, a few senior animals which are less popular, and then animals who have some form of illness or disability.”  
“Not one with an illness or disability. Though I’m sure she would love it unconditionally, I think a healthy animal would be better.” Steve said.  
“So judgmental Steve,”  
“Shut it punk,” Steve said as he glared. He turned back to the woman who was smiling as she watched the two men.  
“Come on, I’ll show you a few different critters and you can see what you think will complete your family.”  
She led them out the door and down a hallway. Immediately they could hear the barking.  
“So, these are some of the dogs who need special attention or are small enough we can fit them in the kennel. We have bigger dogs and healthy ones outside in big pens so they have room to roam.” The woman explained.  
She led them to a cage with a small shaggy terrier. It started yapping as soon as the boys walked up.  
“So this is Nancy, she’s 3 years old and she’s been here for 8 months. She had some heartworms but she is finally done with treatment and is ready to find her forever home.”  
The two boys shared a look.  
“She’s cute but I don’t think we want a tiny dog,” Steve said.  
“Specifically no yappers,” Bucky added.  
The woman laughed and nodded, “I don’t blame you. But that will help our search a little bit.”  
She then led them outside where they could see a number of fenced-in areas with dogs of all kinds running, sleeping, or playing with their toys.  
“So, first we have Pluto, he’s a 6-year-old Lab/Pit mix. He’s a sweetheart but people get scared with him being part pitbull. He’s active but not so much that he’s too much to handle. He does enjoy going for walks and playing with his ball. He also loves tug-of-war, but I usually warn people about hurting their shoulders due to his strength, but I get the feeling you two won’t need to worry about that.” She smiled as she crouched down to call over the dog.  
“Yeah, I think we’ve got that covered.” Steve laughed.  
Bucky got down right next to the worker and started petting him through the fence.  
“Oh, aren’t you a cutie. Oooh, you’re so sweet.” Bucky cooed.  
“I’m gonna live to regret having you here aren’t I?”  
“Listen, these cuties need someone to love them. Let me live my life.” Bucky snapped playfully defensive.  
Steve laughed and they all moved on to the next dog, then onto cats, and finally the birds and small critters like hamsters and ferrets.

\---------------------

Their next stop was the pet store. They talked to the woman at the shelter about what supplies they would need and she gave them a detailed list with some things that weren’t necessary, but might be good to have.  
They never realized how many toys you could get for animals. Needless to say, they were extra glad for the instructions as they would have been lost without them. They had put their new family member on hold to be picked up on Christmas Eve and somehow figure out how they were going to smuggle it into the apartment. But they would worry about that later. Right now they were arguing over colors.  
“We should get the pink or purple, they’re girl colors,” Steve argued.  
“Did you really just say that? Do you know what (Y/N) would say if she heard that?” Bucky asked with a raised eyebrow.  
“Yeah, you’re right.” Steve nodded, realizing his mistake.  
“Obviously,”  
“Don’t get smart with me punk.”  
“Whatever, we still need to pick a color.”  
“What about (F/C)?”  
“No, that’s a weird shade. She would hate that.”  
“What about this one?” Steve asked, holding up a sparkly red/orange one with little brown flecks in it.  
Bucky tilted his head. “It’s very fall, but I think she’ll love it.”  
“My thoughts exactly.”  
“One thing down, a hundred to go.” Bucky sighed looking at the list.  
“I don’t want to hear it, this is all on you pal. You wanted to do this.” Steve said.  
“Oh I know, I have no regrets.”

\---------------------

Once they had all of the stuff, they made a quick stop to get bags, boxes, and wrapping paper. They knew they would have to wait until tomorrow to wrap their gifts as by now you were bound to be home from work and they had too much stuff to hide effectively.  
They were so glad they had figured this out because they were down to the wire. It was only five days till Christmas.  
With it being so close to Christmas you were practically glowing and floating on air. There was constantly a Christmas candle burning and music playing. After all the stress of the year between missions and dealing with telling people about your relationship, the boys were glad to see you let loose and be happy. You were only minorly stressed out because you had offered to host a small Christmas Eve get together with a few of the team who didn’t already have plans. Though you would all be gathering at the Tower for Christmas dinner. But on Christmas Eve it was just going to be Sam, Wanda, Vision, Natasha, and Bruce.  
You had grand plans of making all sorts of delicious baked goods for both meals, but on top of it, you had to make an actual dinner for Christmas Eve. But you were thrilled. You loved hosting events and you were ready to hold a holiday in your own space. The boys helped you clean everything and make sure all the presents for the team were wrapped, as well as the presents for each other. You managed to wrangle Steve into assisting you with some of the cooking and decorating of the desserts. Bucky had long been banned from the kitchen because he infamously ate everything and you would end up having to make more. So he was stuck on cleaning duty and doing other minor jobs for you. 

\-----------------

After a whirlwind of activity leading up to the big night, it was here. You all had discussed it and decided to get a bit dressed up, especially since Tony had decided that it was going to be a pajama dinner. So while the food was finished cooking, you got all dressed up in a dark red, sparkly, knee-length dress. You did your make-up and put on some jewelry before topping the look off with heels you knew you would take off within half an hour. Each of the boys stuck with a nice pair of jeans and a button-up. Both looked absolutely delicious. Not long after you all finished getting ready, you heard the first knock at the door.  
As everyone arrived, wine and mixed drinks were served and you all gathered at the table for the meal. As you they all sat, you stayed standing.  
"Before we all enjoy this meal, I just wanted to say, thank you. This has been a rough year between missions gone wrong and huge fallouts. I want to say thank you for being my family when my family was being dicks. I firmly believe that family isn’t defined by blood but by love. I feel so incredibly lucky to have wonderful people like you surrounding me and trying to keep my dumbasses safe." Everyone laughed a bit, but your eyes had started tearing. "I love you guys. Thank you for accepting me into your family and for understanding that love comes in many forms. Merry Christmas." You finished, raising your glass, tears trickling down your cheeks.  
Everyone chorused a 'Merry Christmas' and you sat between your boys, who both squeezed your hands and kissed your cheeks.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Christmas day, fluff and super-duper sap is in store.

The presents were wrapped, the lights on the tree twinkling, soft Christmas music played, the fireplace roaring, and Steve, Bucky, and (Y/N) were all gathered in their living room on Christmas morning. There was a gentle snowfall outside and it felt magical. For the first time in a while, the three felt as though nothing could ruin their happy bubble. It was picture perfect.   
They decided to have some coffee while they opened presents, as (Y/N) was cold and tired, and Bucky was always grumpy till he had his caffeine in the mornings. Steve decided to prepare it for his two tired lovers. He knew how they both liked their coffees and what mugs they were to be put in. Though he didn’t put them in their normal mugs, as he decided to get them both a Christmas mug just for this reason. They were a little tacky, but they were all little kids when it came to Christmas.   
Once Steve delivered the coffees and they cooed at the new mugs, he joined them on the floor in front of the tree. They all sat there for a minute. There was no rush, no hustle and bustle, just peace.   
None of them wanted to break the bubble of peace, but they were excited to watch each other open their gifts, even more excited then they were to open their own.  
“Okay, so I guess we should start on this massive pile.” You said. You then gave the boys a look and said, “Which by the way, you guys went way overboard.”   
“Can we not spoil the love of our lives,” Steve said with a smile.  
“Mhmm,” You said squinting at them, their matching mischievous looks worried you slightly.  
“Here, open this one first,” Bucky said gently handing you a box.  
“Why am I going first?”   
“Becaaauuussseeee.” He whined.  
“Okay, okay. Sheesh.”  
You took a good look at the box. It was pretty big and you knew nothing you had put on your list was that big. The wrapping was also weird but you just figured they had trouble with it. You started slowly unwrapping it, trying not to jostle the box since the little Christmas label on the front said fragile. The paper gave way to a plain cardboard box. You were confused and shot the boys a look, but they were both smiling widely. You also noticed Bucky was filming you.  
“Buccckkyyyyyy, no video or pictures.” You whined.  
“Just this one doll, I promise.”  
“Fine,” You grumbled as you started to peel the tape off the top.  
As the two flaps came loose, the top pushed up a bit. You jumped from the shock, quickly looking to Steve and Bucky to make sure everything was fine, but they looked even more excited now. You looked back to the box as you watched a small head pop out.   
Tears immediately came to your eyes as you took in the small white-furred head.  
“Shut up,” You squeaked out, the tears starting to stream.  
“Well you always say you wanted a friend to comfort you when we’re gone, so we got you one,” Steve said softly.  
“Oh my god,” You sobbed. You lifted the flaps and gently grabbed the cat from the box. The cat instantly snuggled into you. You cried louder.  
You saw a note on one of the flaps and grabbed it, the cat still heald to your chest with one hand. You flipped open the letter and started reading it aloud.  
Dear mommy,

I have had a lot of names in my life, but you can give me a new one. I am 4 years old. My new daddies rescued me from the shelter. They say this is going to be my forever home, but I am nervous. I have been brought back to the shelter 5 times. The nice people at the shelter take good care of me, but it’s not the same as a home. The shelter people didn’t want to let my daddies bring me home, they wanted to keep me a foster kitty, but they promised you would love me unconditionally and never bring me back. I hope they’re right. I am a very gentle and calm cat. I actually enjoy cuddles, some times. I do enjoy playing, but I don’t mind just lying around either.  
I think I kept getting brought back because I have a small disability and after my third failed home, I have trouble trusting new families. I am not a vocal cat, I tend to keep very quiet unless I am in pain or distress. I guess most families want a kitty that will talk to them. Also, since I am getting older, no one wants me. They all want babies. I don’t blame them. I was once one of the cute kittens everyone wanted.   
I cannot wait to bond with you and love you for the rest of my life.

The tears just kept flowing as you finished reading.  
“Oh, you poor baby. I promise to always love you. You’ll never have to go back.” You sobbed into the cat’s fur.  
You looked up to your boyfriends and cried “Thank you!”  
“You are so welcome sweetheart,” Steve smiled.  
You sniffled and tried to start calming the tears. You noticed your new cat was trying to reach the wrapping paper so you giggled and gave them a piece.   
“Is it a boy or a girl?” You asked the boys after reading over the note again to be sure you didn’t miss that detail.  
“Damn, knew we forgot something in the letter,” Bucky mumbled.  
“It’s okay, I love it and will cherish it forever.” You said as you refolded the letter and put it on the coffee table behind you.   
“It is a girl.”  
“She’s so beautiful, I can’t imagine why anyone would want to give her up.” You said as you stroked her fur as she batted the wrapping paper around.  
“Their loss is our gain,” Bucky said with a wide smile.  
“Alright, let’s dig into the rest of these while you think of names,” Steve said as he started passing presents.  
“I don’t need to think, her name is Minxy.”  
“Minxy?” Bucky asked.  
“Yup, and before you ask why, she just looks like a Minxy to me.”  
“Okay then, Minxy it is.” Steve smiled.  
In the end, they had given you everything you would need for the newest member of your family. This included bowls, food, a bed, a cat tower, some toys, and a collar (with the promise of a tag with her name). They also got a few small regular gifts for you such as a new frame collage for the living room, a pair of heels you’d been eyeing for a while, and a gift card to Sephora (they said they wanted to buy the actual items but they got scared when they entered so the clerk suggested a gift card).   
Steve had gotten some new sketchbooks and pencils (he broke them so often it was a given for his birthday and Christmas), a nice watch, and a drawing tablet. He was skeptical but you were sure once he got the hang of it, he’d never put it down.  
Bucky was gifted with some new colorful knitted fingerless gloves from a cute Etsy shop, a new journal, and some cologne.  
“Okay boys, now I’m really happy I decided to do this after what you boys did, but I did something special for you both, well two things, but the one is kinda - well you’ll see when you open it.” You said as you grabbed your last two gifts for the boys.  
You first handed them the smaller box, stealing your cat back from Bucky who was entertaining her with reflections from his hand.  
“To remind us of this moment forever,” Steve read as he lifted the gift from the inside. It was a small white ornament, it was a thin circle with the words Our First Christmas.   
“I know technically this isn’t our first Christmas, but it is our first official Christmas together since we were still figuring out our relationship last year as well as you guys had to go on assignment.” You explained.  
“It’s perfect darlin, and very sweet and thoughtful,” Bucky said with a smile.  
“Did you make this yourself?” Steve asked.  
“Well I bought the ornament but yeah, I hand-painted it.”  
“Woman, you will never cease to amaze me.” Bucky exhaled.  
“It’s not a big deal, nothing even in the ballpark of what Steve can do.”  
“But you are just as good in a lot of art forms I am not.” Steve pointed out.  
“All right, stop. Just open the next gift.” You said thrusting the bigger box towards them.  
After tearing through the paper, they were faced with a faux worn leather book, colorful letters spelling out Our Adventure Book. They gave you a look and Steve lifted it out. It was a large book, thick with pages crammed in. He flipped open the first page. There was a note on it.  
For the adventures we have had in the past and the ones we will have in the future ♡  
They turned the next page and they found a picture of Steve and (Y/N) dancing at one of Tony’s fancy parties, they had huge smiles on their faces as they laughed. Next to the picture was the date and a small blurb of what she remembered from that night. The next page had two pictures. They were also of Steve and (Y/N), this one was clearly from the paparazzi but it was cute. It was of the two of them in Coney Island. (Y/N) was riding piggyback on Steve as she held a cotton candy in one hand and a stuffed tiger in her other. One picture was from the back and one from the front. The picture where you could see their faces Steve was smiling wide as you laughed. There were a few more pictures of the years before Bucky. One stuck out. In bold letters at the top, When I Realized I Loved You. There was a small passage below it.

I didn’t realize it at the time, but I think this is the moment where I fell in love with you. Though I think it was a gradual thing, this moment really solidified it. I think I subconsciously pushed the idea of being in love with you away in fear of ruining what we had. But as I was putting this book together, I came across this picture and I realized that this was the moment I realized. I will forever be grateful for this moment, even if it was one of the worst days of my life, I think the outcome was pretty good.

The picture was one Friday had taken. The Avengers had been off on a mission that went south fast. There was radio silence and Friday could not get a beat on any of them. By this point, you and Steve had already been friends for over a year. You had seen him off on missions before, you’d seen them go bad. But never like this.   
You were at the tower, having been escorted there for your safety. You had been watching the news, looking at the death and destruction that was occurring. Then, your heart dropped. You watched as Steve was launched through the air and off the side of a building. You couldn’t see where he landed, but it was a far drop into mass chaos. You had let out a piercing scream, collapsing to the ground.   
Luckily, he came out the other side alive. He was beaten and bruised, but he was alive. The picture captured the moment when he stepped off the plane and you launched yourself into his arms. You were both holding each other tightly and crying, glad that you both were alive and together.   
The tears were streaming down Steve’s face as he read the passage and looked at the picture, remembering vividly the day. You were crying as well, you knew which page he was on and it still hit you hard. 

Once Steve was able to see properly again and took a deep breath, they kept flipping. There were more pictures of you and Steve, then the first pictures with Bucky were actually ones you had managed to scrounge up from the deep dark web (also known as bullying Tony until he helped). It was of Steve and Bucky back in the 40s. There were a few from before the war, childhood and teenage years, then pictures of them while they were at war. You had left space so they could fill in their thoughts and feelings about each picture.  
The next two pictures were from the first day you met Bucky. Near the end of the day, Bucky had lightened up (). He was smiling and laughing with Steve. That was the first picture. Steve and Bucky on your old shitty couch laughing. They both looked so much younger. Then the picture next to it was of the three of you. Steve caught you taking pictures and dragged you onto his lap and you took a selfie of the three of you.   
After that, there were more pictures of the fun times you had together and separately.   
Bucky’s breathing stopped when he got to his page. When I Knew I Loved You.

It was much quicker with you then it was with Steve. Almost instant. You were still so sad and broken, but you swore I helped you feel whole again. It was sappy and you always said it in a joking tone, but the sincerity shone in your eyes each time. And it made me so glad that I could do something to help numb some of the pain that you had been harboring for decades. On this day, it was something so small, so insignificant, but it meant everything. This little gesture, though it ended in a bit of a disaster, made me freeze. I realized I loved you. At that time I had already been playing the game with myself of ‘I love Steve as a best friend’ so I started to do the same thing with you. Looking back, I was an idiot, but that is beside the point. Loving you came naturally, and it made me work twice as hard to make you believe that you deserve to be loved and cared for.

The memory spoken of was only about 5 or so months after you had first met Bucky. You had a horrible day and were feeling like crawling into bed and never emerging. Bucky had called to ask if you wanted to meet him and Steve for dinner, but you declined. You had done your best to mask the emotion in your voice, but clearly, you had failed.   
20 minutes after your phone call, you heard a knock at the door but didn’t feel like answering. A moment later the lock clicked as the door was opened, you were worried for a minute before you heard his voice announce he was here. You heard him mulling around in the main area before approaching your bedroom. He gently knocked on the door. You let out some form of noise and he crept in. He told you he had brought some stuff and he was gonna make dinner. He picked you up and brought you into the kitchen where he sat you on a counter. You saw a beautiful bouquet of flowers on your table. When you questioned why he was doing this, he said he wanted you to feel the same support you always gave him when he was feeling down. He ended up burning the food. The pictures on the page were of that night. First was a picture of the bouquet, then him cooking, then the food burning, his flurry to try and put it out, then his pouting face at dinner while eating takeout. 

Bucky laughed, though his eyes were misty. He looked up at you and said, “Thank you, this is so…”  
“Don’t worry about it, every word in there is true. I love you both so much.” You said  
“And we, you,” Steve replied.   
They continued flipping through. There were more pictures, including the first day you decided to become more than friends, your first date night at home, your first date night out, and so many more. They were about halfway into the book. The flipped another page over and there was a small blurb on a sticky note and below it, three slips of paper taped to the page. The sticky note read The rest of the book is for our many adventures to come. These tickets are for the next one. They furrowed their eyebrows and looked closer at them. Their eyes went wide. They looked at you, looked at the page, you, page, you, page.  
“You’re kidding me? Sweetheart,”   
“I want to. I’ve been wanting to do this for a while, this year just seemed like the perfect time.” You smiled.  
The pieces of paper were fake tickets you had made. They said ‘good for one 5 day Disney World tickets, flights, and lodging’.   
“This is too much,” Bucky said.  
“You got me a cat, I don’t see the difference.”  
They both gave you looks. You just smiled. They both moved over closer to you and tackled you to the floor, showering you with kisses. You giggled as they did so. Even your new kitty joined in and started batting at your face.   
“Merry Christmas sweetheart,” Steve said.  
“Merry Christmas my loves,”  
“Merry Christmas! And if I do say so myself, I’d say it was a very merry Christmas.”  
“Shut up dork/punk!” You and Steve spoke at nearly the same time.  
It was a very Merry Christmas indeed.


End file.
